Jabber/IRC/etc (was Re: "JABBER" on the list Can't we keep it down?)

[Derek Neighbors]

> Perhaps IRC/JAbber/whatever might be useful for those times when you are
> trying to get something to work and need more instant feedback than you
> could get here on the mailing list (thought I *would* request that if
> the problem or solution look like something useful for the general
> PLUGger that a summary be posted to the mailing list).

I can tell you from experience its MUCH more useful for real time fixing.  
However I can also relay from past experience things rarely get posted 
back to a list. :(  Thus the pros and cons. ;)

> Another way it might be useful would be to enhance the 'community'
> aspect.

It will enhance community more than any email list will.  As the offtopic 
discussions grow and grow, but thats how you get to know people.

> But I also remember the days when *I* was the only plug member,
> and I can tell you the silence on the mailing list was deafening ;-)
> 
> So I hope that any solution we come up with does not reduce the
> PLUG mailing list traffic to the point that we look dormant again...

Sadly a good irc community can sometimes kill a list. :(  I suspect in a 
case like PLUG you will have certain people that dont irc and thus the 
list would probably not become extinct. 

Derek